Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications

Abstract Plant-based proteins from legume crops are emerging as sustainable alternatives to animal proteins and as nutritional ingredients in various food products. Mungbeans (Vigna radiata L.) are rich in essential amino acids and have a high protein content. This study investigated changes in tota...

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Main Authors: Chanwook Kim, Seyoung Jeon, Yeon-Ji Jo, Jungmin Ha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12413-9
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author Chanwook Kim
Seyoung Jeon
Yeon-Ji Jo
Jungmin Ha
author_facet Chanwook Kim
Seyoung Jeon
Yeon-Ji Jo
Jungmin Ha
author_sort Chanwook Kim
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Plant-based proteins from legume crops are emerging as sustainable alternatives to animal proteins and as nutritional ingredients in various food products. Mungbeans (Vigna radiata L.) are rich in essential amino acids and have a high protein content. This study investigated changes in total amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), vitamins, and antioxidants for five days after germination. The amino acid and BCAA content of mungbeans varied depending on the genotype, and the amino acid composition changed during cultivation. Mungbeans in the early stages of germination had significantly higher total amino acid and BCAA contents than seeds. The antioxidant capacity and content of vitamin B-complex and vitamin C, but not thiamine, also increased significantly after germination. Among the 18 genotypes, Bohabe Yellow Mongo had the highest amino acid and BCAA contents in the early stages of germination, while Dahyeon showed high amino acid and BCAA contents in the seed state and high vitamin C content after germination. The seeds of 742, a wild genotype, showed high antioxidant capacity, especially high thiamine content. These findings indicated the importance of selecting appropriate varieties and cultivation times when cultivating mungbean as a source of plant-based proteins.
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spelling doaj-art-282b6764e0bf40faab866bd5632fa5642025-08-20T04:03:03ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-12413-9Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applicationsChanwook Kim0Seyoung Jeon1Yeon-Ji Jo2Jungmin Ha3Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National UniversityDepartment of Plant Science, Gangneung-Wonju National UniversityDepartment of Marine Bio Food Science, Gangneung-Wonju National UniversityDepartment of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National UniversityAbstract Plant-based proteins from legume crops are emerging as sustainable alternatives to animal proteins and as nutritional ingredients in various food products. Mungbeans (Vigna radiata L.) are rich in essential amino acids and have a high protein content. This study investigated changes in total amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), vitamins, and antioxidants for five days after germination. The amino acid and BCAA content of mungbeans varied depending on the genotype, and the amino acid composition changed during cultivation. Mungbeans in the early stages of germination had significantly higher total amino acid and BCAA contents than seeds. The antioxidant capacity and content of vitamin B-complex and vitamin C, but not thiamine, also increased significantly after germination. Among the 18 genotypes, Bohabe Yellow Mongo had the highest amino acid and BCAA contents in the early stages of germination, while Dahyeon showed high amino acid and BCAA contents in the seed state and high vitamin C content after germination. The seeds of 742, a wild genotype, showed high antioxidant capacity, especially high thiamine content. These findings indicated the importance of selecting appropriate varieties and cultivation times when cultivating mungbean as a source of plant-based proteins.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12413-9MungbeanAmino acidsBranched-chain amino acids (BCAA)Plant-based proteins
spellingShingle Chanwook Kim
Seyoung Jeon
Yeon-Ji Jo
Jungmin Ha
Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications
Scientific Reports
Mungbean
Amino acids
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)
Plant-based proteins
title Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications
title_full Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications
title_fullStr Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications
title_full_unstemmed Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications
title_short Amino acids and BCAA composition of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) seeds and sprouts for plant-based protein applications
title_sort amino acids and bcaa composition of mungbean vigna radiata l seeds and sprouts for plant based protein applications
topic Mungbean
Amino acids
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)
Plant-based proteins
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12413-9
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